


Maximum Space Capacity

by MikomiShine



Series: Space Filled To The Max [2]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, Intrusive Thoughts, Max's Parents are mentioned, Neurodiversity, Self-Hatred, Space Kid is neorodivergent, Suicide Attempt Mention, also, characters swear because I curse now, please read the previous story so that this makes sense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25358875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikomiShine/pseuds/MikomiShine
Summary: A few weeks after Max's incident in the woods, Space Kid is acting extremely off.
Series: Space Filled To The Max [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1836445
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	Maximum Space Capacity

**Author's Note:**

> Seems this is a series now :D

Max sighed, cheek in hand as he sat outside the counselors' cabin. Honestly, he wanted to go back to his tent and sleep his emotions away, but Space Kid practically ordered him to stay put. 

While he normally wouldn't listen to the weird astronaut wannabe, he did kinda owe it to him.

…..Okay, he completely owed it to Space Kid. The boy _did_ just save his life, after all….

Whether or not Max had wanted his help at the time, he was now feeling quite horrified at his earlier actions.

'I tried to kill myself.'

The thought pounded around his head uselessly. He wanted to think something else, but how could he when the event had just happened? 

'I tried. To _kill_ myself….'

As the seconds ticked by, the little voice in his head grew, becoming insistent.

'You should've done it.'

"Mngh…"

'You shouldn't have let him stop you.'

'It's what you deserve.'

"Nrgh, stop…"

'No one really wants you here.' The voice was now clambouring loudly in his mind. Max dropped his head in his hands, squeezing the sides.

'You're just a waste of space.'

'You should run back into the woods and finish what you started.'

"Arrrrgh, _shut UP - "_

"Max?"

The child leaped from his seat, spinning around to see David standing behind him, cabin door open. The man held out a hand in worry.

"Hey, kiddo….Try to calm down, okay?"

Max snarled in response. He didn't want to deal with the stupidly cheerful counselor…

David closed the door, and sat next to Max. The kid turned his body to face away from him.

A moment passed, and Max looked quizzically at the other.

David was staring up at the sky, watching the last rays of sunlight go down. After a bit more silence, he sighed and turned to Max.

"Alright, kid."

"No."

"Ma - "

"I don't - I _can't_ talk about it. I just can't…."

"That's okay, Max. I'm not gonna make you talk about what happened with Space Kid."

"Y. You're not…" David shook his head.

"I just want to ask you something real quick."

"What…?"

David looked at Max's face, his own unreadable. He sighed again.

"What is your life at home like?"

* * *

Max trudged away from the camp, making his way to the pier. He stuffed his hands into his hoodie pockets with a disgruntled sigh.

He understood why David didn't want him going off on his own again, but.

He _really_ needed to be left alone for the time being. 

When the Indian kid finally got to the docking area, he paused.

Space Kid was there, sitting at the edge of the dock. 

Max stepped closer, thinking he heard Space Kid say something.

"......Yeah, isn't it, though? It really is dumb….."

…..What?

Space Kid continued to mumble, having not realized that he was no longer alone.

Was. Was he talking to himself?

Huh.

Kinda weird, but okay…

Max shrugged. He figured he needed to stop judging the other kid. He knew he was smart, just different from others. Maybe that included him rambling to himself?

'Maybe I should try to find somewhere else to brood.'

With that thought, Max turned, ready to walk off.

But apparently, Space Kid had heard him.

"Wh - Max?"

He turned back.

"Hey."

The space lover stared at the hooded child for a moment, before looking away in embarrassment.

"Uh - how long…..how long were you standing there…?"

Max watched the kid shift around nervously. He sighed.

"Long enough, I guess."

"S - so you….uh. Heard me?"

"Heard you talking to yourself? Yeah."

Space Kid blushed, making an indignant noise.

"I - I wasn't - I just - !"

He folded his arms.

"J - just….Mmn…."

Max sighed, rolling his eyes a bit.

"I'm not gonna tell anyone."

"Y - you're not?"

"No."

"A. Alright. Thanks…."

The two stayed there in silence for a bit. Max tilted his head.

"Do you...do that a lot?"

Space Kid scowled.

"Maybe I do, so what?"

Max raised his eyebrows.

"Dude. I'm not trying to be mean. No need to get defensive…""W - well, how am I supposed to _know_ you won't be mean about it?" The child grabs onto his blanket, picking at the frayed fabric. "You. You're usually pretty mean, Max…."

Max blinked.

"Okay, true, but - "

"But _what_. Am I supposed to think that you've suddenly stopped being cruel? I mean, sure, you haven't picked on me in a while, but….B - but you're bound to pick it back up again…."

Max stared at him.

"Uh. You okay? You're acting really off…." The hooded child looked away in discomfort, scratching at his cheek. The space child grimaced, but didn't waver in his attitude.

"I'm _fine_. Why do you care?"

"Cause….Cause something's clearly bothering you." The space lover huffed.

"Okay, yeah, but. It's fine…."

Max stared at Space Kid for a moment, who was obviously trying to keep his gaze away. He continued picking at his blanket.

".......Look, Space Kid….."

Max stepped forward, seeing the other kid's shoulders hunch. 

"You…..don't seem okay…."

The brown-haired child sighed, letting go of his blanket to try and rub at his face. He pouted when his hands touched the glass of his helmet.

"I'll be fine, Max….It's just…."

Max stepped closer, now standing beside the other child. Space Kid sighed again, looking away.

"Guess...guess I'm just havin' a hard day…."

"Oh…"

Max sits down, legs dangling over the dock's edge. Space Kid pulled his legs up, crossing them underneath himself.

The two sat in silence for a short moment, watching the water glisten below.

"Do….You wanna talk about it….?" Space kid glanced at Max out of the corner of his eye.

"You'll listen?"

"Sure. I mean…." The blue-clad child shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I guess...I kinda owe you, right? You helped me before….And it ain't usually my style to pay it forward, but." He glanced to the side. "I might as well."

"Okay…" The helmeted child looked up at the sky, trying to gather his thoughts. "Well...You know how I said before that I'm smart like everyone else, but I just…work differently?"

Max gave the other kid a curious look.

"Yeah?"

"Well...As I said already, it's been a hard day. Throughout it, I've been super clumsy, bumping into stuff and knocking things over. Neil yelled at me earlier cause I ran into his stuff at Science Camp, and knocked an invention over. It didn't break but he was still mad…" The space enthusiast started to pick at his sleeve. "I've also just been really anxious lately…Like, I keep thinking that I already did a bunch of stupid things today, so clearly, I'll only mess up more." The thread of the child's sleeve began to come undone, but he couldn't stop his compulsive stimming. "It's...it's _frustrating_."

Max frowned. He knew what it was like to have anxious thoughts like that clouding his mind. He never would have guessed that Space Kid dealt with that, too.

"I just...I hate it. I hate how dumb I feel. I _know_ I'm smart, but. It just doesn't feel like it…"

Max figured that everyone calling the kid stupid didn't help.

"And I hate this anxiety. I hate when it gets this bad…"

Space Kid sighed, looking away. It seemed he was done with his rant.

"Anxiety like that is a bitch, ain't it?"

"Yeah, it is....Thanks, Max."

"Huh? I didn't do anything."

"No, you did. You listened."

"I said I would."

"Yeah, but do ya know how many people _say_ they'll listen, but don't?" Max groaned.

"Yeah, I do. That shit annoys me."

"It annoys me, too." Space Kid smirked a bit.

The two found themselves in silence once again. Max felt words falling out his mouth before he could stop them.

"You, uh. You know that - that day where you found me in the woods….?"

Space Kid turned to Max, surprised that the other was bringing that up.

"Yeah…?"

"Well, David came and talked to me that night. And. He asked me what things are like at home."

"....Oh. Uh. What did you tell him?"

"Basically that my parents are seriously shitty people." Max fiddled with his hoodie. "And that, uh. They're basically the reason that….that I was so…. _upset_ that day."

Space Kid gave the Indian child a concerned look.

"What's gonna happen to you when camp's over?"

Max looked down.

"I…..I'll probably end up in the foster system or something…."

"Oh…"

He gave Max a worried look.

"I hope you'll be okay…."

"I probably will, but. A lot of foster kids end up in bad homes. So, who knows." The hooded child shrugged, once again trying to act nonchalant.

"......"

Space Kid looked away, hand held to his helmet in thought.

"....Maybe…."

"Hm?"

"Wait...would that work? Would mom and dad even agree to that?" Space Kid was mumbling to himself again. "...Nn...Have to ask them….but it _should_ be okay….I think?"

"Space Kid. What're you talking about." The other child wasn't paying attention to Max, having now been caught up in his thoughts.

"It'd be okay, right? I'm sure they'd be fine with it...But would Max be fine with - "

"Space. Kid. Hey."

"Huh?"

"What are you on about."

"Oh! Uh…" The child blushed a bit. "S - sorry, uh…..Just…"

"Just what."

"Well…" Space Kid started to pick at his cape again. "What if. What if you stay with my family?"

Max blinked.

"What."

"Just hear me out!" The child held up his hands, trying to placate the other kid. "I'm sure if I just ask my parents and we explain the situation, they'd be fine with it!"

"Kid, that's nice and all, but. I doubt your parents would want to take care of another child."

"They would, actually."

"Okay what the hell. You can't just - "

"They told me before that they've considered adopting or fostering before. I think they'd want to help!"

"O - okay, but that doesn't mean - "

"I can call them! I'll ask David if I can use the landline, or even his phone. I can see what they say. I'm sure they'll want to meet ya!"

"Space Kid, jeez!"

The other child flinched at Max's harsh tone.

"Wh - what…? I'm just try'na help…"

"Yeah, I get that, and it's real nice of you. But I highly doubt that your folks would just be _okay_ with this."

"I'm sure they would - !"

"Well, I'm sure they wouldn't!"

The two sat still for a moment. Space Kid began to wring his hands together. Max sighed, running his own hand through his hair.

"Look," The moody child began, fidgeting in place a bit. "It really _is_ nice for you to suggest that. But. Just cause your parents thought about fostering once or twice doesn't mean they'll actually go through with it."

"I think they will, though - "

"Space Kid, you're not listening - "

"Max, my parents have wanted another child for a while now. And. They can't really have another kid on their own. So. I'm sure this would be fine."

"......"

"Max?"

"Even….even if that's the case, I…" The Indian child huffed out a breath. "Look, they wouldn't want to deal with someone like me. The shit I've been through - it's….They're not gonna be able to handle someone so - _messed up._ "

Space Kid gave Max a sad look.

"....Max. No matter what you've been through, I swear my parents would want to help you get past it as much as possible. I swear, okay? They'd do what they could for you, and they wouldn't care that you've been through bad stuff. They'll want to help."

"Even if that's true, they won't be able to."

"Yes they would - "

"No they wouldn't - "

" _Dammit,_ Max!"

Max flinched back at the sudden outburst.

"I've been through shit myself, alright? I've dealt with stuff I shouldn't have had to go through, and my parents have done a _wonderful_ job helping me! They've been amazing, and I know they'd be amazing for you, too! I'm sure they'd want to help once we tell them what's goin on, and they'd love you. You wouldn't haveta worry about bein put in a bad home, you wouldn't haveta worry that you wouldn't be cared for. Trust me on this, okay?"

Max watched Space Kid as he let out a long breath. Space Kid tried to rub at his eyes, but his helmet got in the way. He grumbled, ripping the thing off to rub a fist at his face.

"Max, I swear to you, they'll be _super_ understanding."

"....." 

Max looked down at the water before him. He tried to glare, but his eyes had no anger left in them.

"You…"

"Hm?"

"You really think they'd take me in…?" Max asked in an unusually small voice. Space Kid nodded.

"I really do!"

Max's eyes began to water. He hastily wiped at his tears.

"Max?"

"What. What if they end up hating me…."

"They won't."

"You don't know that…"

"I think I do."

Max glanced over at the other child, who gave him a small smile.

Space Kid held out his hand.

"C'mon, Max. We can go call them now, if you'd like."

"..."

Max glanced away again, but shyly took the other kid's hand.

"O...okay…"

Space Kid smiled, leading Max over to the counselors cabin.

Max saw some of the other campers in the distance, and quickly snatched his hand back with an embarrassed look.

"I - I don't need the others thinking I'm some pussy…."

Space Kid sighed. 

"If anyone were to call you that, I'd kick em."

Max raised a brow.

"Oh? What if it were Nurf?"

"I'd still kick him. I'd kick him hard."

"Where the light don't shine?"

"Exactly!" 

Max chuckled. Space Kid patted his shoulder, then started to head off.

"C'mon! Let's see if David's in the cabin!"

"Alright, alright. I'm comin."

Max sighed. Space Kid seemed to be feeling better than before, and he could feel his own mood lifting a bit. He frowned again, however, as he wondered if the kid's parents would really be so understanding.

A nervous feeling twisted his gut, and he willed it to go away.

"Will this...really work out...?"

"Max!"

He looked up. Space Kid was waving him over to the cabin now. He sighed again. The others would probably ask about this later…

He shook his head. Space Kid really was nice, though…

'It probably wouldn't be so bad,' he thought to himself, walking over to Space Kid with a hopeful spring in his step.

'Staying with you…'

**Author's Note:**

> Someone had asked me to add more to this story so that Gwen and David find out about the previous events, and I had some ideas. But since I already had the counselors react to Hare and Max in my other series, I decided to do things a bit differently :3


End file.
